The Impact of Ceiling Prices in Fish Markets in Several Belizean Communities

Abstract

Belize, formerly British Honduras, has a unique fishery resource which, because of a barrier reef extending along the full length of this narrow country, has provided its citizens with an extensive yield of both fin fish and shell fish for consumption and export. In response to the recent exploitation of this valuable source of protein, the government has placed ceiling prices and quotas upon various classes of fin fish and shell fish and has entirely prohibited the importation of salt cod. The impacts of the market restrictions have been both qualitative and quantitative. The distribution between export fish and domestic fish consumption has been altered because of this pricing structure. Furthermore, the distribution between high-quality and low-quality species similarly has been altered. It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative impacts of these legal price ceilings and quotas. From a household survey we will attempt to measure actual domestic prices, legal ceiling prices, and the resulting fish consumption pattern in Belize. This paper will show different patterns of consumption between three separate cultural groups in that country.